Pio Taofinu'u

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Pio Cardinal Taofinu'u, S.M.
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
relstyle=Cardinal
deathstyle=none |

Pio Cardinal Taofinu'u, S. M. (December 8, 1923 – January 20, 2006) was a Roman Catholic cardinal and former Archbishop of Samoa-Apia. He was notable for having been not only the first Pacific Islander to be appointed a Cardinal, but also for being the first Pacific Islander to be appointed as a bishop anywhere in the world.

Education

Savaii Pio Taofinu'u was born on December 8, 1923 in the village of Falealupo, in what is now Samoa. He attended the Falealupo catechism school before entering the Moamoa Theological College. He continued his studies first at the Seminary of Lano, on Wallis Island and later at the Marist Seminary in Greenmeadows (near Napier, in New Zealand.

He was ordained a priest for the Society of Mary (Marists) on December 8, 1954 by Msgr. Giovanni Battista Dieter, S.M. He made his profession in the Society of Mary on September 8, 1962.

Priesthood

After ordination, Father Taofinu'u worked at Leauvaa and Palauli in Samoa, before travelling to New York and later returning to Samoa in 1962. Father Taofinu'u accompanied Msgr. George Hamilton Pearce, S.M., the then-Bishop of Apia (which was later to become the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia) to the Second Vatican Council in Rome. He remained in Rome for three months, taking advantage of his time overseas to visit the Holy Land. After serving as Vicar to Bishop Pearce from 1964, Father Taofinu'u became Vicar General of the diocese in 1966.

Bishop

On January 11, 1968, he was named Bishop of Apia becoming the first Polynesian bishop ever. He was consecrated as Bishop of Apia, Samoa by his former bishop George Pearce, who was the new Archbishop of Suva, Fiji. One of his first duties as the new spiritual leader of Samoa's Catholic community, was as one of the organizers of Pope Paul VI's November 30, 1970, visit to the Samoan Islands - the first and to date, the only visit by a Pope to the Samoan islands. During his time as Bishop of Apia, Catholic schools increased as he put an important focus on education throughout his diocese. He established a Theological College for Catechists and Deacons in an effort to evangelize the Faith to all the islands His work contributed greatly to an increase in priestly vocations in Samoa. As Bishop, Taofinu'u was active in leading the reforms to the Catholic Church in Samoa in which some aspects of Samoan culture were being blended with the old traditional church practices.

Archbishop and Cardinal

Msgr. Taofinu'u was created a Cardinal by Pope Paul VI in the consistory of March 5, 1973. He participated in the 1978 papal conclaves of August, and October. He became the first Archbishop of Samoa-Apia when the Diocese of Samoa-Apia and Tokelau (as it was then), was elevated to the rank of archdiocese.

Liturgical Reform

Cardinal Taofinuu presided over the first Synod of the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia that began on December 7, 1990 and ended on December 14, 1990. After careful discussion and consideration, Cardinal Taofinuu approved six synodal acts from his Commission on Worship, Sacraments and Inculturation.The second of these six acts states "O le faaaganuuga o le Tapuaika auaufaatasi i le Puleaga Faaakiepikopo o Samoa - Apia ia faaauauina le tilotilo toto‘a i ai ma le toe iloiloinaina ma o lona faatinoga ia lanutasia i le puleaga atoa" or " [t] he inculturation of the Liturgy in the Archdiocese of Samoa - Apia is to be continually reviewed and reevaluated, and its implementation should be uniform through the archdiocese." As a result of these acts, the liturgies in the archdiocese were vibrant, become more meaningful to the people by making use of the signs and cultural symbols of the people of Samoa. During his episcopate, a new hymnal incorporating old and new hymns for the liturgy was also prepared and published for use through the ecclesiastical province of Samoa-Apia.

Retirement and Death

He retired as Archbishop on November 16, 2002 at the age of 79, and died in Apia shortly after midnight on January 20, 2006 at the age of 82.